Coventry's famous black cabs hit US streets for the first time this week - but many will have to be painted yellow before they can take passengers.

At least 125 of the cabs have already been sold in the US to taxi companies and private buyers, including Hollywood star and would-be California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Entrepreneur Larry Smith, owner of London Taxis North America, bought the rights to sell them in the US from Coventry-based London Taxis International then spent three years and &#xA3;4 million fitting them to meet US safety and emissions standards.

He hopes to have over 3,000 of the cabs on US and Canadian roads within years. Hundreds of the cars bought for commercial use will have to be repainted to meet strict regulations governing taxi colours in each US city.

In Chicago, a fleet of yellow cabs will roll out next week and more could follow in New York.

Mr Smith said he decided to start importing the taxis after falling in love with them during a family holiday to England in 2000.

The changes included installing air bags, redesigning the headlights, modifying the fuel system, adding anti-pollution devices and converting them to left-hand

But the taxis do retain the distinctive extra required under old London Public Carriage Office rules that ensured they could accommodate a gentleman's top hat.

Andrew Stoppelmann, vice president of the Bronxville Taxi company in Westchester, New York state, said he ordered two of the British cabs to boost his fleet of 22 Ford Crown Victorias.

"The London taxi has an aura about it that we are confident will appeal to customers," he said.

"The drivers are very excited about their too - some of them are already practising their cockney accents."